Bennett, the redshirt freshman starting at quarterback in place of
Thomas (left knee), completed 11 of 20 passes for 156 yards and two
touchdowns. Kenjon Barner, getting a second straight start in relief of
James, college football’s leading rusher (dislocated elbow), ran for 115
yards and two more touchdowns.

The Ducks (6-1, 4-0) scored the first four times they touched the
ball, led 42-0 less than four minutes into the third quarter and could
have named the final score.

“In the second half, I think both teams were kind of like, let’s
keep the clock moving and get this over with,” Oregon defensive
coordinator Nick Aliotti said.

The Buffaloes wouldn’t have scored if UO returner Cliff Harris
hadn’t caught a punt from Darragh O’Neill over his shoulder inside the
five. Harris’ momentum took him into the end zone, where he was tackled.

The mismatch was total.

“They have a lot of speed,” Colorado linebacker Jon Major said. “We
have freshmen first-year starters. It can be overwhelming.”

It was a long, miserable homecoming game for CU coach Jon Embree, who didn’t have answers.

“Colorado is banged up,” UO coach Chip Kelly said. “I talked to Jon
before the game and I know where those guys were coming in.”

It would have been an easy game for the Ducks to sleepwalk through. But the team leaders wouldn’t have it.

James gave a fiery onfield pep talk during warm-ups.

“He told us we needed to go out there and play hard and win this
game,” Bennett said. “We might have seemed a little flat in warm-ups,
and he wanted to make sure that wasn’t going to be a reflection of our
play today. He told us that, and we were able to rally around it.”

After the Ducks retreated to the locker room to prepare for kickoff, other players picked up on the theme.

Oregon returned to the field energized.

“Some of the older guys on the team were able to recognize that this
didn’t feel normal and get everybody going again,” guard Carson York
said. “At Washington State last year we sort of played uninspired ball
the whole game, and it was closer than it should have been. We didn’t
want to do that here.”

They didn’t. The Ducks were dazzling early, even without their stars.

Both Thomas and James were dressed. Thomas spent some time with the first offense during team drills before the game.

Kelly said the decision to go with Bennett was made at the last minute.

Once made, the decision was final. Thomas didn’t appeal.

“This isn’t the people’s court,” Kelly said. “He doesn’t get to
lobby, and then we get an argument from the other side. We’re just going
to do the best situation on this day.”

Bennett made it work. He wasn’t a perfect passer, but kept Oregon’s
first drive alive with a 43-yard keeper. He hit Barner with a 31-yard
screen on the Ducks’ second possession, which he capped with a 14-yard
screen to De’Anthony Thomas for a touchdown.

His 31-yard touchdown pass to tight end David Paulson for the fourth UO score was picture perfect.

“Paulson beat them over the top,” Bennett said. “There was nobody
left. I put a little air under it, and let him run under it.”

By then, his early misfires were long in the rearview mirror.

“I could have made a couple passes that I make day in, day out,”
Bennett said. “I just missed them, whether it be a little bit of nerves,
or adrenaline, my feet might not have been under me – whatever it might
be."

The way Oregon’s defense was playing, the Buffaloes weren’t going to
come back. The Ducks outgained Colorado 527 yards to 231 and sacked the
CU quarterbacks five times.

Linebacker Michael Clay got a defensive touchdown when he stepped in
front of a Hansen pass and returned the interception 32 yards for a
touchdown.

Oregon had been blitzing Hansen relentlessly. He countered with a quick slant one time too many.

“He kind of just threw it to me,” Clay said. “I read his eyes a little. I had to take it to the house.”

The Ducks made it 42-0 with their first possession of the third
quarter. Bennett set up the score with a 31-yard strike to Lavasier
Tuinei, who didn’t quite get into the end zone. But freshman Tra Carson
muscled in on second-and-goal, and Kelly began emptying his bench.